


Trust

by queen_scribbles



Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-14
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-06-10 07:39:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15286893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queen_scribbles/pseuds/queen_scribbles
Summary: @pillarspromptsweekly fill #44 I got The Defiant, The Watcher’s soul, and trust. Since this one is Deadfire, timline wise, there's spoilers for the beginning of the game. If you've made it to Neketaka you're fine.





	Trust

**Author's Note:**

> @pillarspromptsweekly fill #44 I got The Defiant, The Watcher’s soul, and trust. Since this one is Deadfire, timline wise, there's spoilers for the beginning of the game. If you've made it to Neketaka you're fine.

 

Tavi came to with her face pressed against the hard wood floor of her cabin, the last chime of Berath’s bells still ringing in her ears. The rocking of the ship, gentle as it was, did nothing to ease the churning in her gut. She growled and muttered a curse under her breath as she slowly pushed to her feet.

 _Just once, **once** , I wish the gods would solve their own fucking problems and leave me the Hel out of it, _she groused to herself, rubbing at the headache pounding in her temples. Tavi shook her head and world mostly calmed down with the cobwebs gone. The only rocking that remained was the _Defiant_ ’s bobbing through the waves toward Neketaka.

 She rubbed her hands over her arms, as if trying to reassure herself she was still _her_. She’d felt... disconnected since her first time waking up on the ship, and her encounter with Eothas, sensing the stolen chunk of her soul inside him, had only made it worse.  The ‘council of gods’ she’d just visited hadn’t helped any, either. She sighed and raked one hand through her hair. She knew what she should do. Her favorite thing to do whenever she was unsettled--or any time, really, since not much had unsettled her before.

Talk to Aloth.

And, luckily, for the first time in years that was actually an _option_. She smiled to herself as she exited her cabin, one hand trailing along the wall just in case the nausea came back. She’d missed being able to just plop down next to him and vent more than she’d ever admit. Hel, she’d missed _him_ more than she’d ever admit. _Edér’ll probably rat me out on that one, anyway._

She found Aloth amidships, nose buried in a book and clearly trying to ignore the loud conversation Edér and Irrena were having nearby.

“Need a distraction, city slicker?” Tavi asked with a laugh as she approached. Aloth started slightly before looking up, still biting his lower lip in concentration. He smiled when he saw it was her. “That would be lovely.” He marked his page and closed the book. “Somewhere more... private is probably best.”

It was Tavi’s turn to bite her lip to keep from voicing one of the half dozen teasing innuendo she could make off _that_. This wasn’t the time; they hadn’t seen each other in years, and she had a couple things she wanted to talk to him about. Teasing--and all the probing she wanted to do about the “Engferth” business--could wait.

Aloth raised an eyebrow when she stayed quiet, but waited until they were away from any potentially prying ears to ask, “Is everything alright, Tavi?”

“Yeah,” she replied reflexively, then sighed and shook her head. “Shit, I don’t know, Aloth.”

He cocked his head and gave her a concerned look. “Well, what’s wrong?”

“Don’t know that, either,” Tavi said, plopping cross-legged on top of a supply crate. “I just...” She sighed and cracked her knuckles. “Aloth, do you trust me?”

“With my life,” he replied, hesitating only the briefest second to process the oddness of the question as he sat next to her. “Is there a reason I shouldn’t?”

“I mean... it’s been almost fours years since we last saw each other, we haven’t exactly kept in touch over that time, a god stripped out part of my fuckin’ soul, and-”

“And as far as I can tell, you’re still the same woman you’ve always been,” Aloth cut her off, coupling the words with a keen look. “Is this really about whether I should trust you, or is it more you wondering if you should trust yourself?”

“Damn, do you know me too well,” Tavi said with a chuckle. “I’m not used to doubtin’ myself, Aloth. So even doin’ it a little’s makin’ me wonder if Eothas... changed me with what he did.”

Aloth shook his head and reached for her hand. “It would take more than a god to do _that_ , Tavi.”

She shot him a dubious look. “How’re you so sure?”

He chuckled. “For one thing, you’re far too stubborn to let just _one_ deity change you who are. Or even two.”

Tavi smiled crookedly, warmth curling through her at his confidence. “Would probably take the whole fuckin’ pantheon.”

“My point is, you’re still you-”

“Mostly,” she interrupted, her grin widening.

Aloth rolled his eyes before continuing, “-and I trust _you_. Whatever small differences there may be--and I’ve yet to see any _large_ deviations from the woman I remember--they don’t change that.”

Tavi’s cheeks warmed. “See, this is why I’ve missed talkin’ to you about this stuff, city slicker. I know you’ll be straight with me.”

“So,” he began, thumb rubbing the scar that creased her knuckles, “would you say _you_ still trust _me_?”

“Hmm, I dunno, _Engferth_ , should I?” she teased, bumping her shoulder against his.

He went a gratifying shade of bright red. “I really am willing to explain all that, now that we’re-”

“Aloth, I’m just kiddin’“ Tavi interrupted, grinning. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “‘Course I trust you. More’n anyone in the fuckin’ world. An’ sure I’m curious what you’ve been up to, ‘specially how it landed you in the fuckin’ Deadfire, workin’ with a group of animancers under a false name, but that can wait. Right now, I just want to spend some time together, ‘cause I’m happy you’re back.”

“Just sitting? Without doing anything? Who are you and what have you done with Tavi?” Aloth asked in mock concern, teasing glint in his eyes.

Tavi rolled her eyes and punched his shoulder with her free hand. “ _Bazzo_.”

“Ow,” he said mildly, shooting her a bemused look.

She shrugged. “C’mon, Corfiser, it wasn’t that hard. ‘Sides, you had that comin’ and you know it.”

“I suppose I did,” Aloth conceded. “Because I know you.”

“Mmm, good answer,” Tavi chuckled, and squeezed his hand. The two of them lapsed into a comfortable silence after that, and there was no one in Eora she’d rather spend it with.


End file.
